Trahan is a former Hill staffer who spent much of her 10-year career at the Capitol working for former Rep. Marty Meehan (D-Mass.). Thanks to redistricting, Trahan will be representing many of the same areas Meehan did.

Trahan, who won her first run for office, survived a crowded field of 10 Democratic candidates and a recount to win the Democratic primary. She then went on to defeat Republican Rick Green in the general election for the solidly Democratic seat.

After working for Meehan, Trahan became an executive at ChoiceStream, a software company in Cambridge, Mass. She is currently CEO of the business-consulting firm Concire Leadership Institute, which she co-founded in 2012.

Trahan was born and raised in Lowell, Mass., and now lives just south of the city in the town of Westford, with her husband, Dave.